Georgia

Georgia, formerly called the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, is a small country in the Caucasus region with a rich and diverse culture. It is bordered by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey in the South, Black Sea in the West, and Chechnya, Ingushetia and North Ossetia in the North. It has lots of mountain ranges which comprise most of the country’s terrain. Climate in Georgia varies from west to east, as the weather is different from that in the coast and in the inner land areas.

T’bilisi is its largest and most cosmopolitan city and its capital as well. Its former capital, Mtskheta, is now the center of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It has 9 administrative regions namely: Kakhetia, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Samtske-Dzhavakheti, Imeretia, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kremo Svaneti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Huria, and T’bilisi. Moreover, Georgia has 2 autonomous regions which are Adzharia and Abkhazia which are independent republics but still under the country of Georgia.

Georgians are well-known for being very hospitable people. Their being friendly and hospitable are seen as marks of good character. Whenever there are guests in their area, they invite them inside their homes and offer scrumptious and unique Georgian dishes. This is because Georgians see their guests as ‘gifts from God’ so they welcome their guests in the best way they can. If you are a guest in a Georgian home, try out all the dishes and finish everything in your plate as a courtesy to your host. Do not forget to try out their wines as Georgia is the country which invented wine. A tip to remember: do not toast with beer as it means a toast to the enemy.

StudyCountry is a mini encyclopedia for students interested in traveling to different parts of the world.